Local

High demand, low inventory of homes for sale in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you are looking to buy a home in Charlotte, you might not have many options to choose from.

Channel 9 has been telling you for months how the housing market is on a comeback. Now, Realtors in Charlotte said the demand for homes is super high, but the inventory is very low.

Brigitte Casemyr and her husband, Tim, planned to live in uptown Charlotte after moving here from Boston last summer.

"We knew we wanted to live in the city," Casemyr said.

Around November, the couple hired Scott Lindsley with Janus Realty and started their hunt for a three-bedroom, 1,500 square foot home.

"When I went online to send them what was available, I had very little to send them," Lindsley said.

The couple put in an offer on a foreclosed townhome on Settlers Lane. The listing price was $279,000. There were multiple offers and the couple bid 20 percent higher, but still did not get the home. It ended up selling for $367,000.

"We were in shock," Casemyr said.

Lindsley said other homes the couple looked at went on the market and under contract in a matter of days. The couple ended up finding a home near Lake Wylie.

Paul Ryan with Nestlewood Realty is seeing the same trend of low inventory in Plaza Midwood.

"Typically this time of year, there are 80 or 90 houses on the market.  Right now, I think there’s 30 of them and half are under contract,” he said.

After years of being in a buyers’ market, both Realtors say this shows things are balancing out and looking good for sellers, too.

"Get your house prettied up and put it on the market,” Ryan said.

“As a whole for a city, that’s what we need,” Lindsley said. “We've been needing this for a while."

Realtors expect more homes will be available to buy when the market picks up again in the spring.

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